Ostentation (Society, December 16th, 1860 – Medium Ms. Huet)
In a beautiful spring afternoon a rich and generous man was sitting in his living room. He happily smelled the aroma of garden flowers while complacently tallying all the good deeds he had done that year. He could not avoid giving an almost despicable look at the house of one of his neighbors who gave but an almost insignificant contribution to the construction of the local church. As for me, he said, I gave more than a thousand francs to that work; I deliberately threw a 500 franc bill into the basket that the young Duchess circulated in favor of the poor; I gave much more to the beneficent parties, to all kinds of raffles and I believe God will be thankful for so much I have done. Ah! I forgot the small alms that I lately gave to an unfortunate widow who has a large family, still raising an orphan. However, what I gave her is so small that this is certainly not what is going to open the doors of heaven to me.
• You are mistaken, he suddenly heard from a voice that made him turn his head: that is the only one accepted by God; here is the proof. At the same time a hand erased everything he had listed on the piece of paper with all his good deeds, leaving the last one only, the voice and the paper went back into heaven.
Hence it is not the alms given with ostentation that is the best, but the one given with humility of heart.
Joinville, Amy de Loys.
